Quality care helps employers tackle #1 healthcare cost

In a new article by CNBC, Hospital for Special Surgery discusses how employers can save costs when treating musculoskeletal conditions (MSC) by providing quality healthcare to employees.

Todd J. Albert, MD, surgeon-in-chief at HSS, said MSC accounts for "more than 16 percent of total employer healthcare costs."

"One-third of lost work time is related to musculoskeletal diseases and conditions," says Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of HSS. "People are either absent, or not [fully] present."

"Early quality medical care is the best course of action," said Dr. Albert when MSC is unavoidable. If avoidable, employers can encourage early reporting of symptoms and provide ergonomics training.

"Sometimes the diagnosis is the most important thing because getting the right diagnosis the first time leads to a lot of efficiency, or value, and the correct treatment the first time, which for most musculoskeletal disease will be non-surgical," added Dr. Albert.